What is a 404 Error?
A 404 error is a standard HTTP status code that indicates the server could not locate the requested resource or web page. When a user attempts to access a URL that doesn’t exist on the server, the server responds with a “404 Not Found” status code, informing the user that the requested page or file is unavailable.
This error is one of the most common issues encountered on the web and can occur for a variety of reasons. It’s important for website owners and developers to understand the implications of 404 errors and how to manage them effectively to ensure a smooth user experience and maintain optimal website performance.
Why Do 404 Errors Occur?
404 errors can happen for several reasons, including:
- Broken Links: The most common cause of a 404 error is when a user clicks on a hyperlink that points to a page or resource that has been moved or deleted without a proper redirect.
- Incorrect URL: Users might accidentally type an incorrect URL into their browser, leading to a 404 error if the server cannot find the resource at that address.
- Deleted Pages: When pages are removed from a website without setting up a redirect, users trying to access the old URL will encounter a 404 error.
- Changed URLs: If the URL structure of a website is changed (for instance, during a site migration) and old URLs aren’t properly redirected to their new counterparts, visitors may receive a 404 error when attempting to access the old URLs.
- Website Maintenance: Sometimes, a 404 error can occur if a website is temporarily down for maintenance and the server is unable to serve the requested pages.
How Do 404 Errors Impact Your Website?
404 errors can have several negative impacts on your website, affecting both user experience and SEO performance:
- User Experience: Encountering a 404 error can be frustrating for users. It interrupts their journey on your site and may lead them to leave your site altogether, potentially seeking out a competitor instead. Frequent 404 errors can harm your site’s reputation and lead to decreased user satisfaction.
- SEO Performance: While a few 404 errors on your site may not significantly impact your search engine rankings, a large number of them can hinder your SEO efforts. Google and other search engines may interpret frequent 404 errors as a sign of poor site maintenance, which can affect your site’s crawlability and indexation. If search engines repeatedly encounter 404 errors while crawling your site, it can waste your crawl budget, meaning that fewer of your important pages may get crawled and indexed.
- Broken Link Equity: When a page that had earned backlinks is deleted without a redirect, the link equity (PageRank) associated with those backlinks is lost. This can reduce the overall authority of your site and negatively impact your rankings.
How to Find and Fix 404 Errors
To minimize the negative effects of 404 errors, it’s essential to regularly monitor and address them. Here are some tips for finding and fixing 404 errors on your website:
1. Use Google Search Console
Google Search Console is a powerful tool that allows website owners to monitor their site’s performance in Google’s search results. One of its key features is the ability to identify and report 404 errors.
- Access the Coverage Report: In Google Search Console, navigate to the “Coverage” report under the “Index” section. Here, you’ll find a list of all the errors Google has encountered while crawling your site, including 404 errors.
- View the Details: Click on the specific 404 error to see details about which pages are affected. Google provides information on the exact URLs that are returning 404 errors, making it easy to identify and address the issues.
- Fix the Errors: Once you’ve identified the 404 errors, you can take steps to fix them. This might involve setting up 301 redirects to direct users and search engines to the correct page, restoring deleted pages, or correcting broken links.
2. Regularly Crawl Your Website
In addition to using Google Search Console, it’s a good idea to regularly crawl your website using a tool like Screaming Frog, Ahrefs Site Audit, or SEMrush Site Audit. These tools can help you identify 404 errors that might not yet be reported in Google Search Console, allowing you to fix them before they become a bigger problem.
3. Set Up Custom 404 Pages
Even with the best practices in place, 404 errors are inevitable. When they do occur, it’s important to provide a custom 404 page that helps users navigate back to relevant content on your site. A well-designed custom 404 page can reduce user frustration and keep visitors engaged with your site.
4. Monitor Backlinks
Regularly monitoring your backlink profile is crucial for maintaining your site’s SEO health. Use tools like Ahrefs or Moz to track backlinks to your site and ensure that none of them point to pages that no longer exist. If you find that backlinks are pointing to a 404 page, consider setting up a 301 redirect to pass the link equity to a relevant page.
5. Conduct Regular Site Audits
Performing regular site audits helps you stay on top of any issues that might arise, including 404 errors. During an audit, check for orphaned pages, broken links, and other issues that could lead to 404 errors, and address them promptly.
What is a 410 Error and How Does It Differ from a 404 Error?
A 410 error is similar to a 404 error, but with a key difference. While a 404 error indicates that the server could not find the requested resource (and the resource may or may not exist in the future), a 410 error explicitly states that the resource has been permanently removed and will not be available again.
In practical terms, for a website visitor, there is no significant difference between encountering a 404 and a 410 error—both mean the resource they were trying to access is not available. However, from an SEO perspective, a 410 error is a stronger signal to search engines that the page should be removed from the index, whereas a 404 error might be seen as a temporary issue.
Conclusion
404 errors are a common issue that can negatively impact both user experience and SEO if not properly managed. By regularly monitoring your site for 404 errors using tools like Google Search Console and site crawlers, setting up proper redirects, and maintaining a clean backlink profile, you can minimize the impact of these errors on your website.
Additionally, setting up a custom 404 page can help retain visitors even when they encounter a missing page. Understanding and addressing 404 errors is an essential part of website maintenance and ensuring that your site continues to perform well in search engine rankings and provides a positive experience for your users.